U+002A "*" Asterisk Unicode Character
Unicode Version 17.0
*
U+002A "*" Asterisk is a typographic symbol that has been in use since the early days of computing, representing a star-like shape with six or more points. It is classified as a punctuation mark in Unicode and serves a wide range of functions across different contexts, including as a multiplication operator in mathematics and programming, a wildcard character in file search patterns, and an indicator for footnotes or annotations in written text. Its name derives from the Greek word "asteriskos," meaning "little star," and it is distinct from other star-shaped symbols, being a standard character on most keyboards and a fundamental part of digital communication.
General Properties
| Code Point | U+002A |
| Version Added | 1.1 |
| Name | Asterisk |
| Block | Basic Latin |
| General Category | Other Punctuation |
| Canonical Combining Class | Not Reordered |
| Bidirectional Class | Other Neutral |
Encodings
| HTML Decimal Encoding | * |
| HTML Hex Encoding | * |
| UTF-8 Encoding | 0x2A |
| UTF-16 Encoding | 0x002A |
| UTF-32 Encoding | 0x0000002A |
| C/C++/Java Escape | \u002a |